Miranda Writes... by Miranda Stevens-Miller September 1999 Nightlines What is the Measure of a Woman? What is a woman? Is it something easily defined, something you can measure? Is there a test that you can pass or fail? Is it the presence or absence of a certain appurtenances? The coordinators of the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival apparently believe that there is a true measure of a woman. This year they have narrowed the definition of who can and who cannot attend the "womyn- born-womyn only" event with the additional restriction, "no penises on the land". There is something so contradictory, so fuzzy, so na•ve in this thinking. It flies in the face of an entire body of modern gender theory, a field of study that has shaped the feminist movement of the latter half of the 20th century. Before going any further, I must digress to clue you in on what I am talking about. Not having been there myself, it has taken some doing to find out what really happened, but this is what I gather. A group of transgender people, under the leadership of Riki Anne Wilchins set up "Camp Trans" outside the MWMF to call attention to the festival's exclusionary policy. They were joined in the protest by dozens of supporters, most visible being the Chicago Lesbian Avengers. As it turns out, a group of transgender folks did eventually purchase tickets and enter the land. Transexual Menace T-shirt were visible everywhere. Hostility was high, and Riki admitted in an interview that she felt threatened, and was grateful for the support and protection of the Lesbian Avengers. Then rumors started flying. "Men" on the land were going about showing their genitals. This started the "no penises on the land" mantra, and led to the voluntary expulsion of the one pre-op MtF and the one FtM. It turns out that the rumor started when the FtM requested to take a shower, asked and received permission from those there, and then (heavens) actually took a shower. How about the pre-op MtF? She left the land voluntarily. Did her presence cause any harm? Did she contaminate the drinking fountain with her lips, or desecrate the "joans" (remember, no men allowed applies to the Porta-Potties as well). Here is a person who lives her life as a woman. She has always known that she's a woman, except when she was younger and knew she was a girl. She is mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and probably hormonally a woman. Maybe even genetically. Who know? Do you know your own genetic status? There are many intersex people in this world who are genetically female and have a penis. And as far as her genital status is concerned, who's to know? If she didn't out herself as pre- op, who's to know? Does anyone really think that a pre-op transsexual woman would intentionally bare her genitals in public? Of course not! As a woman, she is most likely ashamed of the fact that she has the wrong equipment, and would be humiliated to have to reveal it to anyone. Do you think that a person who identifies as a woman would purposely make other women feel uncomfortable? No way! She respects women. Her role models are women. She loves women. But she wasn't born a woman. Well, how do you know what God intended for this woman? She was born with a woman's soul, that's for certain. And the courage that she has shown in going through a gender transition in order to reach her full spiritual potential is beyond comprehension of most people. Transition is a spiritual journey, not just a physical one. So how are we going to resolve this issue? First step is to open a meaningful dialog with the separatists who feel that they have the divine right to judge who is or isn't a woman. The next step is to realize that anyone who lives her life as a woman, is a woman. The Chicago Lesbian Avengers know that trans-inclusion is "the practice of the truth that transgendered women are womyn too. It's the trust that the practice of trans-inclusion will not infringe on any womyn's safe space. All womyn can learn and grow from encountering womyn that are not necessarily just like them." I have tremendous admiration for the Chicago Lesbian Avengers who joined the Transexual Menace at Camp Trans in denouncing the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival's discriminatory policy.